Europium oxide

Europium oxide (CAS 1308-96-9), formally europium(III) oxide (Eu₂O₃) and also referred to in trade as europia, is a white to light-pink powder belonging to the rare earth oxides group.

Where is Europium oxide used?

• Electronics and solar PV: principal europium source for red-emitting phosphors based on the yttrium oxide host lattice (Y₂O₃:Eu)
• Phosphors deliver narrow-band red emission for fluorescent lamps, LED conversion layers, and display backlighting
• Precursor in scintillator formulations and solid-state laser materials where controlled rare earth doping governs emission wavelength and gain characteristics
• Printing and packaging: functional input for security inks and banknote fluorescence systems
• Europium-activated compounds produce photoluminescent responses under UV excitation that are well outside the range of common organic fluorophores, providing a robust anti-counterfeiting marker
• The material is incorporated into ink matrices to engineer both optical response and substrate interaction.

Good to know: Handling is subject to a Warning signal word under GHS classification; standard industrial hygiene measures — dust control, appropriate respiratory protection, and avoidance of prolonged skin contact — apply. No established pharmacopoeial monograph (USP, Ph. Eur.) or food-additive designation applies; it is purely an industrial and advanced-materials grade substance.

Commercial specifications

• Molecular weight 351.93 g/mol; density 7.42 g/cm³ at 25 °C; melting point approximately 2,350 °C
• Grades from 4N (99.99 %) through 5N (99.999 %), expressed on a rare earth oxide basis as Eu₂O₃/TREO ≥ 99.9 % with TREO ≥ 99 %
• Typical lot sizes from 100 g to 5 kg for research and specification-qualification work
• Certificate of analysis (COA) reporting purity on a TREO basis, loss on ignition (LOI), and trace rare earth impurity profiles by ICP-MS